Test rig for load combinations for life prediction of complex lightweight strukturs

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Dieter Krause
• Co-Applicants: Professor Dr.-Ing. Karl Schulte (†); Professor Dr.-Ing. Uwe Weltin
• Subject Area: Lightweight Construction, Textile Technology
• Term: from 2008 to 2011
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 112086724

In the construction of composite parts the specific properties of composites (inter alia anisotropy) are not used as consequently as potentially possible. Often the mere substitution of metal is made. For the product development there are still missing design guidelines for efficiently using the composite materials. Within an interdisciplinary research composites in close vicinity to the final component are multiaxially tested with the aim to design composites to their limits, both in life and durability. The test equipment used is a modular hexapod concept with servohydraulic actuators. The ranges of topics comprise three fields: i) Textile Structures ii) Flexible Composites and iii) Degradation of composite materials. For the textile structures damage degradation and failure criteria will be developed under multiaxial loading situations. Due to the fact that flexible composites show a very different behaviour from normal composites, but find increasing entry into the application, applicable lifetime and failure predictions are indispensable. The analysis of the degradation behaviour of complex, real component parts serves as third pillar. With these fundamental principles lightweight construction design guidelines and simulation methods can be developed which clearly increase the potential of composites with regard to the application thereof.

• DFG Programme: Major Instrumentation Initiatives
• Major Instrumentation: Prüfanlage für Lastkombinationen
• Instrumentation Group: 2560 Prüfstände für Fahrzeuge und Aggregate (außer Motorenprüfstände 286)